What is green woodwork?
To understand green woodwork one has to appreciate how wood is produced. Solar energy is harnessed cleanly, quietly and beautifully by the leaves of a tree. This energy is used to combine simple chemicals found in air and water to produce the bundles of fibres and tubes that we call wood. This material has evolved to withstand the enormous stresses placed upon a tree as it is buffeted by strong winds. Its strength comes not by being stiff but by having the ability to flex. The green woodworker aims to harness this supple strength of wood to make products that share the resilience and the character of the living tree. The single most important process used in green woodwork is an operation known as cleaving. To cleave a log is to prise apart its fibres while the wood is still fresh. Cleft wood follows the flow of the fibres. Cleft wood compared to planked wood is like spring-steel compared to cast iron. After cleaving, the wood can then be shaped further. This is carried out using sharp
